Tape condenser



JUly 4, 1950 J. T. DRENNEN ,V 2,513,405

TAPE coNDENsER Filed'oct. 51; 1945 gy; l jul/ENTAOR.

Patented July 4, 1950 JohntT. Drennen, Newburgh, N. Y., assigner' to j American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1945,-Serial No. 625,877

This invention relates to improvements in tape condensers such as are used in dividing a web obtained .from a card into a large number of strips which may be converted directly into rovin-gs,l

It has heretofore been found that certain I bers, particularly vrelatively smooth-'surfaced fibers, such asv some types of artificial fibers; fibers of a tacky nature, suchas excessively oiled fibers of wool or any other type (natural or arti- Y ficial) fibers having ahydrophobic nature which increases their tendency to develop static charges, such as certain synthetic resin bers, e. g. vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, polyethylene, and so on, cannot be satisfactorily handled on tape condensers after being stripped from the doier cylinder of a card. Whereas no diiculty is encountered in connection with the top dividing roll of a tape condenser, the fibers in the ribbons frequently tend to adhere to the lands of the bottom dividing roll. This causes rupture of the ribbons and the production of irregularities in those that are obtained.

It is the principal object of the present invention to overcome the diiculties mentioned hereinabove and prevent the break-down of the ribbons which proiceed about the bottom dividing roll of tape condensers. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing which is illustrative of the invention:

Figure 1 is an end elevation with the framework removed showing a portion of the tape condenser to which the invention is applied, and

Figure 2 is a bottom view, partially in crosssection, taken along line II-II of Figure 1.

With reference to the drawing, a carded web 2 is carried on the outer periphery of the doffer or doifing cylinder 3 which rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the web is removed frofm' the doiier by means of the oscillating stripper comb 4'. The stripped web 2 then proceeds between the top and bottom dividing rolls 5 and 6, respectively, which form the preliminary portion of a tape condenser. Each of these rolls 5 and 6 comprises a plurality of grooves i alternating between lands 8. The grooves in the bottom dividing roll E receive tapes 9 While the grooves in the top dividing rolls receive tapes I!! and the grooves of the top dividing roll are offset with respect to the grooves of the bottom dividing roll soy that the lands of 2 claims. (o1.A isi-151i1 one roll ,face thetarpes received in the grooves of l the other dividing roll.. This is the conventional .arrangement andpermits tapes 9 to tear ribbons 2a from the .web 2 by holding ysaid .web between the tapes `and the lands 8 of the top dividing roll 5 while the tapes I9 proceed in the same manner to form ribbons 2b at .the bottom dividing roll 6. The ribbons 2a are carried aroundthe plainA guide roll I I ,by means of tapes 9, whereasy thev ribbons 2b are carried. about the lower plain guide roll I2 by the tapes I0, ribbons 2a and 2b being fed from this point to the remaining parts of theA tape condenser not shown. In order to prevent the ribbons 2b from clinging to the lands 8 instead of to tapes Ill as they pro- Iceed around the lower guiding roll I2, a transverse conduit I3 is provided facing this opening between the ribbons and the lands. The conduit I3 is connected to a compressed air supply by conduit I 4 and has a plurality of openings I5, which may be itted with nozzles Iii arranged so that they face the lands 8 of the bottom dividing roll 6. The conduit I3 may be supported on brackets I'I, rotatably mounted on a shaft E8, set screws I9 serving to permit angular adjustment and securing of the conduit in an adjusted position vupon the shaft I 8. As shown, the openings I5 or nozzles I6 are directed so that substantially their entire blast falls upon the lands 8 just in advance of the points of departure of webs 2b carried by the tapes I0. This assures that the ribbons :cannot cling to the lands 8 rather than to the tapes I0 and prevent disruption of the ribbons 2b.

The cause of the tendency of the lower surface of web 2 to cling to the lands 8 of the bottom dividing roll, whereas there is no such tendency of the upper surface to cling to the lands 8 of the top dividing roll in spite of the fact that the latter effect would be favored by gravity whereas the former is disfavored is not entirely understood, but appears to be the result of a combination of several factors. First, the exposed surface of the web 2 on the dofler 3 appears to be much more fuzzy and irregular than the surface immediately adjacent the periphery of the doffer. Whereas in the case of many fibers this difference between the two surfaces of the web 2 Would not be sufficient to give trouble with breaking `down of the ribbons, it appears that certain fibers, such as those having relatively smooth slippery surfaces, or those of a tacky nature, or those of pronounced hydrophobic character, have pronounced differences in their tendency to adhere to adjacent surfaces of tape rolls and the like, depend- 3 ing upon the fuzzy irregular character of the surfaces of the web itself. Other factors, such as lack of iiber cohesion in the web, may facilitate breaking down of the ribbon once a portion of the iibers therein tend to adhere to the lands 8 rather than the tapes l0. Other factors, which are difficult to evaluate, include static electricity and humidity.

Instead of air pressure beingV applied, any other or dry steam.

It is to be understood that changes andivaria'- dividing v rolls kforA conducting "thetapes `vcarrying liber ribbons awayjfromwhe dividing rolls, and

a conduit extending ilongitud-inally beneath 'the bottom dividing roll only; meansfor supplying said .conduit with ajgaseous'iiuid under*V pressure, and apluralitypof spaced apertures inl said Vconduit disposedltoface yt-hezglands ofthe -bottom dividing roll and to direct `blasts of- -uidagainst thel landsV at the vexposed" portions*thereofA ljust in advance of` thel point oi departure of f'the ribbons as'they are carriedby thetapes ab'outjtlie lower plainjguiding roll.

2.1 In combination, a tape condenser having top and bottom dividing rolls, saidV rolls having grooves receiving tapes proceeding thereabout, a plain guiding roll associated with each of the dividing rolls for conducting the tapes carrying 5 ber ribbons away from the dividing rolls, and

a conduit extending longitudinally beneath the bottom dividing roll only, means for supplying ',said conduitwith a gaseous fluid under g-pressure, -a-plura1ity of spaced vapertures'l invsaid conduit `fluid medium may be applied, such as an inert gas C10 disposed to face the lands of the bottom dividing lroll and to direct blasts of fluid upwardly against 'ithelands at the exposed portions thereof just in as they arecarried by the tapes about the lower f15plaing.uiding roll; nozzles in said apertures, and

means for angularly adjusting said conduit.

JOHN T. BRENNEN.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the ile o'fathis; patent:

* UNITED STATES/PATENTS `Number :Name f Date 1,140,711 Pope May 25,11915 5 f 1,326,615 Pope .Deaaisio ,2,168,775 -Hurst ....Aug. 81935 k,2,190,941 .Gardner Feb. 20,1940

30 Number ,Country Date 4,488 "GreatBritain 'Of 1891 9,891 'Great' Britain of;1843 10,182 Germany i Julyl, ,1880 

